At the entrance of Caiyun Town, Zhuge Yishi, Bie Li, Ying Xiaoxiao, and others stood watching the scene of the great battle several miles away, their eyes filled with awe. Especially when Yuan Xiang’s dazzling sword light fell from the sky, everyone looked utterly shaken. Even Nangong Shang felt a jolt; though he had reached the Grandmaster level, he admitted that under that single strike, unless he completely unsealed Qishen, even he could not possibly block it. He truly wondered how Ye Jingyu managed to withstand that move.

Soon, several figures emerged from the darkness. Leading them was Ye Jingyu, covered in blood. His clothes were tattered from countless slices, and his body bore numerous sword wounds, many deep enough to pierce the bone. Miraculously, however, these wounds were already beginning to heal, some even starting to scab over. Such regenerative power left everyone dumbfounded.

But quickly, Nangong Shang and the others turned their attention to the pale-faced man walking behind Ye Jingyu, their mouths slowly falling open in shock.

Liang Xiaoke? Whether it was Ying Xiaoxiao or Nangong Shang, they stared at him in disbelief. They absolutely had not expected him to actually be here.

Only Zhuge Yishi’s eyes flashed with a flicker of surprise. Had his deduction been wrong? This wasn't a calculated trap, but simply that Liang Xiaoke had killed someone? Yet, his gaze immediately fell upon the corpse of Adams being carried by Mu Fei, and a faint smile touched the corner of his mouth...

It seemed this truly was a setup, but Liang Xiaoke’s appearance was an unexpected bonus.

“Five Grandmasters, one Spirit Manifestation realm Soul Master, and twenty Masters. Zhuge, you are goddamn brilliant. I’m seriously starting to doubt if you planted an informant near the Crown Prince!” The moment Ye Jingyu saw Zhuge Yishi fanning himself, he gave him a thumbs-up.

“Heh heh, even if I had an informant, I couldn't dig up intelligence like this. I merely have a certain understanding of the experts surrounding the Crown Prince!” Zhuge Yishi replied with a light chuckle.

“Heavenly Calculation Divine Seer, I am thoroughly convinced now. We achieved a great victory this time, though Zhu Ruo and the swordsmen of the Six Commands were entirely wiped out. Handle this matter, Zhuge. And Nangong Shang, send men to retrieve the corpses of Yuan Xiang and the others—those are all evidence of their crimes…” Ye Jingyu dropped the discussion about Zhuge’s sources and began arranging the aftermath.

No one said anything further. Everyone was delighted by Liang Xiaoke’s return, except, of course, Nangong Shang.

The subsequent matters were straightforward. When Ye Jingyu brought the bodies of Yuan Xiang, Liu Qiuxue, and that Soul Master back to Yunjing, it immediately caused a stir among the court officials. After all, Yuan Xiang and Liu Qiuxue were established figures. They had thought that such evidence, even if it couldn't topple the Crown Prince’s faction, would at least deliver a heavy blow. But unexpectedly, Luo Xiaofeng cited "secluded training" as a reason for his absence and handed the entire matter over to the Eastern Palace Crown Prince for full handling.

This decision infuriated Luo Ruofeng, Ye Jingyu, and the others. Wasn't this just the guilty party accusing others?

No, perhaps it was more like the criminal presiding over the trial of the criminal?

Under the Crown Prince's judgment, this conspiracy was declared a secret plot by the Tianjian Sect rebels, combined with the Baihua Sect rebels, targeting the imperial court in an attempt to assassinate meritorious officials like Ye Jingyu. However, it was thwarted by the mighty and peerless Ye Jingyu, who successfully slew the rebels and rendered immense service to the Nanyun Empire.

Ultimately, Ye Jingyu was posthumously granted the title of First-Class Earl, along with a lavish mansion, one hundred acres of fertile land, ten thousand taels of gold, and countless jewels.

Ye Jingyu was not overly moved by such rewards, but on the day of the conferment, seeing the Crown Prince's face looking worse than if he were crying, Ye Jingyu’s frustrated mood improved significantly. After all, having Ye Jingyu kill so many of his people, the Prince still had to personally bestow rewards upon him—that must be agonizing for him.

Ye Jingyu sometimes even wondered if Luo Xiaofeng was doing this intentionally? Before he achieved the Martial God realm, Ye Jingyu had been relatively tolerant, perhaps even indulgent, toward the Crown Prince.

Regarding the matter of Zhu Ruo, although some in the court raised suspicions, given that it implicated a rebel like Yuan Xiang, no one dared to say much more. After posthumously granting Zhu Ruo a noble title, the matter was dropped.

Bing Ming was appointed the commander of the Six Commands. With this Martial Saint personally training the swordsmen, their strength was expected to be considerable. As for the Five Commands, Ye Jingyu had originally intended for Bie Li to take the position, but when Liang Xiaoke heard about the responsibilities of the Five Commands, he actively volunteered for the role of commander. The thought of a zombie like him executing an interrogation by perhaps tearing a head off raw was certainly impactful, and Ye Jingyu immediately approved.

Thus, Ye Jingyu now held command over the Yun Guard and the Seven Commands. All that remained was to clean up the ranks below…

However, this was a long-term task, and Ye Jingyu was not in a hurry. At least half of the Yun Guard's strength was under his control, and the remaining half would eventually fall into place.

The autumn sunlight always carried a sense of melancholy. A week had passed since the great calamity at Caiyun Town. In those seven days, he had visited the Imperial Palace seven times, six of which were accomplished by stealthy infiltration. With a super-expert like Xiao Taotao serving as an inside agent, developing a certain intimacy with Luo Ling'er had become incredibly simple.

As the sun rose, casting golden-red light across Yunjing, Ye Jingyu, clad in white, sat at a window seat on the third floor of Yun Man Tower. Before him sat a bowl of soy milk and several baskets of steamed buns. Forgoing chopsticks, he grabbed the buns with his hands and stuffed them into his mouth, thoroughly enjoying himself, one after another.

Just as he was about to launch his assault on the third basket of buns, a head poked through the window. Who else but Liang Xiaoke?

“I thought you’d been discovered by the old emperor,” Ye Jingyu said without looking, continuing to eat his buns.

“Relax. That old man is currently focused entirely on breaking through to the Martial God realm. I could sleep with all his women, and he wouldn't even know,” Liang Xiaoke vaulted in and sat opposite Ye Jingyu, snatching a basket of buns from his plate and beginning to devour them ravenously.

Ye Jingyu chose to ignore Liang Xiaoke's antics. Ever since learning that he could enter and leave the palace without issue, this fellow had been following him into the palace. By what means he managed to involve himself with several concubines remained a mystery.

Seeing Ye Jingyu continue chewing his buns without acknowledging him, Liang Xiaoke was puzzled and about to say something when a graceful figure appeared at the stairwell entrance, causing his eyes to light up…

(Still writing, more updates later!)